Video: Understanding and using blend modes

Don't panic if what you're looking at on the screen doesn't quite exactly match what you have in your comp. This is what the Blend Mode project will look when we are finished. I'm showing you this because I wanted you to see exactly how much you could blend together with the use of blend modes. So let's get started by checking out our project. Press F5 to open the Project pane and you'll see we have an imported Photoshop document with three layers. A group made up of Replicator and then our title, which has text and a color bar underneath of it.

In Motion 4 Essential Training, Ian Robinson shows how to start building outstanding motion graphics and animations for video production. He demonstrates how to build custom text animations with the new Adjust Glyph tool and explores Motion’s amazing real-time 3D tools. Ian highlights working in the 3D space, creating depth with lights and shadows, and using reflections to add realism. He gives practical advice on how to integrate Motion into a professional video workflow, round-tripping with Final Cut Pro and sending a final project to Compressor. Exercise files accompany this course.

Topics include:

Understanding the toolbar and setting the essential preferences to get started

Adding .mov files, still images, and Photoshop and Illustrator assets to a project

Understanding and using blend modes

Don't panic if what you're looking at on the screen doesn't quite exactly matchwhat you have in your comp.This is what the Blend Mode project will look when we are finished.I'm showing you this because I wanted you to see exactly how much you couldblend together with the use of blend modes.So let's get started by checking out our project.Press F5 to open the Project pane and you'll see we have an imported Photoshopdocument with three layers.A group made up of Replicator and then our title, which has text and a colorbar underneath of it.

Now I'm just going to turn off these upper layers here until we get down to thelast two layers, Sky and this Canyon layer underneath.To be quite honest, I would say a good 98% of designers out there, don't knowexactly how each and every blend mode functions, they just operate on the whatlooks good is good theory.Just so we don't go crazy for the next few hours, I'll give you what I think isthe best guide to using blend modes, the designer's guide for blend modes.Now keep in mind these will just be guidelines, not hard and fast rules.

There will always be some exceptions.So now with the Sky layer selected, open the HUD.Typically, I adjust my blend modes in the HUD, because I find it's the fastest.You can also adjust your blend modes in the Properties tab of your Inspectorunder Blend Mode, or you can Ctrl-click directly on the layer in your Layers taband choose Blend Modes from there.But to get to the Designers guide, let's go ahead and click on the BlendMode pop-up menu in the HUD, and you'll notice all the blend modes aredivided up into groups.

So for me, I just keep in mind exactly what each group as a whole is designedto do and then click through the options in that group to see exactly which one looks best.So this top group up here darkens things.The next group below it tends to lighten things.The third group works based on the contrast of each of the layers.And the next group here looks at the comparative aspects of each layer, and thencompares them and mixes them.These are kind of drastic, so I have to say I rarely use them, and then thislast group in the half here works on the compositing functions based on theLuminance information or Alpha Channel information.

Now the reason I said, in the half, the last half works on information based onthe Premultiplied Alpha Channel.So now that we have that basic designers got down, let's go ahead and blendthese layers together.Making sure the Sky Layer is selected, let's turn of its visibility and look atthe layer underneath.What we are going to do is make these rocks a little bit darker by applying ablend mode to this guy.So let's start with the first set of options and just kind of click through, andyou notice some of them even though they are changed, don't really have aneffect at all or just a tiny amount.

For example, Darken is just affecting this one little upper section of the clouds.You can click through all of them, but I know I want to choose Linear Burn, solet's see what that looks like.Now that may be a little bit dark for what we are trying to do, but let's goahead and leave it for now.The next layer is this really busy bright glass layer.Let's use this to lighten up the image we just created below.Sometimes when these individual blend modes don't work, I'll just jump rightdown to the next one so that function off of the contrast.

Typically, Soft Light does a great job of blending everything together.So let's choose Soft Light, and I want you to notice groups have blend modes,but we're not going to jump into that just quite yet, we'll get to that when weget up towards the Title group.Let's select this next group that has a Replicator.See if we can blend it in a little bit.I'll use one of the Alpha Channel options and you'll notice how it cuts out the background.Sometimes no matter which blend mode you choose, it just make sense to leave itat Normal and just drop down the Opacity.

So let's drop that down to around 50%.Now with our Title group selected, let's turn the visibility on and see if wecan make some adjustments.Let's make this mix in by trying one of the Contrast options Hard Light.It's looking pretty good, but I think it's really dark over on the right-hand side.So let's dark its Opacity down.Now you notice the text is blended in too much, so let's go ahead and take theOpacity back up, turn off the blend mode, change it to Pass Through and now wecan just make that adjustment directly to the GreenLine.

Now the text is nice and bright.Notice if we go back up to the group here and make a change, now itaffects everything below.So just kind of keep that in mind as you are working with groups.So this is looking pretty good.Let me just check one last thing with the Glass.I think it still a little bit dark.Let's see if we just can blend it in a little bit more smoothly.I think I like Overlay a little bit better.Now remember I've set the Sky might make things a little too dark.Let's drag the Opacity down on this Sky layer just to brighten up theoverall composition.

Let's drag it down to around 20%, and then we are all set.We've gone through all of our blend modes, and you've completed the designer'sguide to blend modes.When you start working with blend modes, it's best to think of them in theirgroups and then click through to see which one works best for you in your goals.If you'd like to learn more about blend modes, go check out the Photoshop CS4Blend Mode Magic title in the lynda.com Training Library.

Q: In Motion 4, is it possible to create an intro with multiple pictures, where some pictures enter from the left side and some from the right side of the frame, with all fading as they approach the center of the canvas?

A: The effect described is a very specific move utilizing 3D space. One effective method is to work in true 3D space, instead of trying to use a behavior, by keyframing the animation. Try these steps:

Place a camera in the scene and switch the scene to 3D.

Rotate the first image to an angle that achieves the desired effect, and slide it on the X axis until it is out of the scene on the right of the stage.

Turn on Auto Keyframing and make sure a keyframe is recorded for the rotation and position.

Move the playhead down the Timeline and move the picture to it's ending point and adjust the rotation a little for the end.

To get the image to disappear, adjust the camera's far plane of view, making sure to soften it so it has a smooth transition into oblivion.
Then simply duplicate the picture and change the rotation and position keyframes to the exact opposite values for rotation and position.

Q: When attempting to change views as the instructor demonstrates in the “Viewing a 3D scene in different layouts” video, I only see the text in the Perspective view. When the instructor uses the Top and Bottom screen split, and uses the Top view, my screen does not show the four horizontal lines that represent the four words used in the tutorial.
Are there settings that need to be changes in order to view all the objects as demonstrated in the tutorial?

A: It’s possible that when viewing the project from different?angles, the letters may be sliding way out of the view area.
Here’s how to fix it: Whenever you can't see your objects in the?scene, select at least one of them in the Layers panel and then press?F or Command+F to frame the selected objects in the scene.

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